


I Want You To Have It All

by catherinelynnelove



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Character death is for characters who die in canon, F/F, F/M, Gen, Homophobia, M/M, Meet the Family, They're also both offscreen and before the events of the fic, Transphobia
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-05
Updated: 2020-12-05
Packaged: 2021-03-09 19:00:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,855
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27891154
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/catherinelynnelove/pseuds/catherinelynnelove
Summary: Krolia and Kolivan are getting married. Krolia invites her children to the wedding, as all mothers who have good relationships with their children would. The catch? If they don't bring a plus one, she'll kick them out on their asses.For Keith, whose only friend has an invitation of her own, that poses a genuine problem.Enter Lance McClain.T for Strong Language, Homophobia & Slurs
Relationships: Adam/Shiro (Voltron), Allura/Shiro (Voltron), Keith/Lance (Voltron), Kolivan/Krolia (Voltron), Matt Holt/Nyma, past Kolivan/Thace, past Krolia/Keith's Father
Kudos: 13
Collections: AREA 69 WRITES SHIT





	I Want You To Have It All

**Author's Note:**

> I'm obsessed with "meet the family" stories and I've wanted to write one with Keith and Lance since I became a part of this fandom. I also wanted to write about a wedding. And about Keith and Acxa as twins.
> 
> Basically, this fic is a lot of things I've wanted to write for a long time, shoved into one _surprisingly_ cohesive story.
> 
> Title comes from the song "Have It All" by Jason Mraz.
> 
> Also, yeah, this fic is in second person pov. You all know why. We don't need to talk about it.

Your name is Lance McClain, and honestly,  _ fuck _ studying.

You shouldn’t be saying that. You have an exam in two days and you aren’t  _ nearly _ as prepared for it as you should be. You know this. Hunk and Pidge have both told you this.

But  _ man _ , studying is  _ boring _ .

And, because studying is boring, you decide to people-watch your study buddies instead.

The six of you are at a table in a dark, quiet corner of the campus library, and from a quick glance around, you’re the only one in the group  _ not _ studying. Not that that’s anything  _ new _ , really.

Hunk and Shay are sitting to your left, their heads ducked close, whispering to each other as they compare their essays. Romelle is at the head of the table to your right, two textbooks out in front of her and her notes stacked in between them. Pidge is directly across from you, typing furiously on her laptop, and Keith is to her right, scowling at his notes like he wants to burn them.

You kind of relate to Keith, in that.

Pidge looks up at you over her laptop and raises an eyebrow. “You done staring, yet?”

“I’m  _ bored _ ,” You say, knowing she’ll see straight through any lie.

“Lance, we have less than twelve hours to prepare for this exam, and if I have to listen to you complain about a bad grade for the next six months, I’m going to punch you in the face.”

_ Ouch _ . 

You frown, but turn back to your textbook anyway. You know Pidge is right. If you don’t do well on this exam, you’re going to be incredibly disappointed with yourself, and the only way to do well is to  _ study _ . So you force yourself to continue reading the bland article on ergonomics.

Luck is on your side today, though, because two minutes later, your study time is interrupted.

“We got the invitations.”

Everyone looks up at the newcomer. You quickly recognize Acxa, Keith’s twin sister. Ezor Glenn, Acxa’s girlfriend, is leaning against a bookshelf off to the side, clearly uninterested in the visit.

“Seriously?” Pidge asks, her face breaking into a bright grin. “For when?”

Acxa hands Pidge an envelope out of the stack in her hands - you’d guess she went to check the mail sometime before coming here - and throws another at Keith’s face. He catches it smoothly and glares at her. Acxa ignores it, and you’re a little impressed, but then, she’s had  _ practice _ .

“What did you guys get invitations for?” Hunk asks. You’d bet curiosity is eating away at him.

“Keith’s mom is getting married next week,” Pidge answers, reading through her invitation. Two seconds later, her eyes widen, and she starts laughing almost maniacally.

“What?” You ask, and now curiosity is eating away at you, too.

“Keith,” Pidge squeezes out between breaths, “Read the last line. Please. I’m losing my  _ shit _ .”

All of you turn to look at Keith, who hasn’t opened his invitation at all- likely expecting the contents to be the same as Pidge and his sister’s’. He frowns and opens it up, pulling out the card inside and skimming through it. You can see something flash in his eyes, and then he’s scowling even deeper than before, setting the card down with an exasperated sigh. Pidge laughs harder.

“Since Katie is preoccupied, I guess I’ll read it,” Acxa says, a ghost of a smile playing on her lips. “It says, and I quote:  _ ‘In place of a wedding gift, my one request is that each of you’ _ \- meaning us and Pidge -  _ ‘bring a plus one, and if you show up without one, I’ll turn you out on your ass.’ _ “

You can’t help but laugh at that. You might not know Keith’s mom, but you think she’s  _ amazing _ .

“So, now that you’ve got your mail, I’ll leave you two to your debate.” Acxa says, clearly speaking to Pidge and Keith. She nods a vague acknowledgement to everyone else at the table, then turns on her heel and leaves, Ezor smiling brightly and waving goodbye before falling in at her side.

Pidge is finally recovering from her amusement, and as soon as you can meet her eye, you lean forward to stare into her soul. Or attempt to, at least. “Pidge, you  _ have _ to take me with you.”

Pidge raises an eyebrow. “And why do I have to do that?”

“Come  _ on _ , Pidge! I love weddings! You  _ know _ I love weddings! You need a plus one, _ take me! _ ”

“Hunk, Shay?” Pidge calls, ignoring your pleas. “You guys have plans for break?”

You turn to stare Hunk down, begging, pleading. Hunk stares back at you, unimpressed. But you  _ know _ he has plans, and as you said before, luck is on your side today. Hunk sighs.

“Yes, actually. We’re heading back to her place for her grandma’s birthday.” He says. “Sorry.”

Pidge frowns, her eyes sliding back to you. You grin victoriously. She only has so many options. Pidge glances around the table, landing on Keith and Romelle. You’re pretty sure the requirement won’t count two invited guests coming as each other’s plus one, which rules out Keith.

Pidge’s gaze locks on Romelle’s hopeful smile, though, and you  _ know _ you’re doomed.

“Romelle, you wanna come to a wedding with me?” Pidge asks, smirking.

Romelle looks between Pidge and you, considering. You want to think Romelle will give you this one. You want to think that sweet, soft-hearted, _ Perfect Friend _ Romelle will give you this. But you know it’s wishful thinking. Romelle spends too much time with Pidge to be  _ that _ nice.

“I would be honored.” Romelle says.

_ Goddammit. _

You don’t even bother hiding your frustration, groaning loudly in protest of your  _ awful _ friends and their  _ awful _ treatment of you. Why would they do this? You know why. Because they’re  _ awful _ .

“Oh, shut up, Lance,” Pidge snaps. “It’s not like Keith doesn’t need a plus one, too.”

You stop groaning.

You look at Keith. Keith looks at you.

“Keeeeeeeeeeith,” You whine, and Keith looks away, annoyance painting his features.

“No way,” Keith says immediately. “I’m not spending a week stuck with  _ him _ .”

_ “Keeeeeeeeeeith,” _ Pidge copies, a hint of challenge in her voice. And possibly… something else.

Keith’s gaze snaps to Pidge and they stare at each other for a long,  _ long _ moment. You shut your mouth, and watch, and wait. You know better than to get between them during a pissing contest.

This particular pissing contest, it’s Keith who looks away first. He meets your gaze.

“Fine,” He mumbles.

“Oh  _ hell  _ yeah!” You say, just short of shouting. “How’s it feel to lose to young, dear Pidgey?”

“Why are you asking me? You already know how it feels.” Keith replies, a smirk pulling at his lips.

You scowl, but before you can say anything else, Hunk is nudging at your shoulder and insisting you all go back to studying, because that’s what you’re all there for in the first place. You groan in protest, but Pidge threatens to “forget” you’re coming with them to the wedding, so you stop.

Everyone else goes back to their work, so you reluctantly go back to reading. And luck is  _ still  _ on your side, because somehow you’re able to concentrate.  _ Finally _ . Fucking ADHD brain.

  
  
  
  


Your name is Keith Kogane, and you’re kind of really pissed at your best friend.

You’ve known Pidge for as long as you can remember - literally since she was born - and she’s been able to read you like an open book for just as long. You don’t really mind her understanding you so well, actually  _ appreciate _ it, because Pidge is much better at talking to people than you’ll ever be, and having her on your side has helped keep people from despising you too much.

The  _ bad _ thing about having someone understand your thoughts at a glance, however, is that it’s  _ impossible _ to keep secrets from Pidge. And Pidge might not be  _ mean _ , but she’s not  _ nice _ , either.

Which means the  _ second  _ you realized you have a crush on Lance McClain,  _ she _ knew, too.

And she will  _ not _ stop bothering you about it.

It’s annoying for any number of reasons, but  _ right now _ , it’s annoying because Pidge has forced you into asking Lance to come to your mom’s wedding with you. As your plus one. For a  _ week _ .

He’s going to have to sleep in your room with you. In your _ bed _ with you.

And yeah, you have a bunk bed, but _ still _ .

You kind of wish Acxa hadn’t brought you your mail in the middle of study group, but you know for a fact she did it on purpose after reading your mom’s request for the wedding. You know she did it to see your reaction. You also suspect she did it knowing Lance would be there to overhear.

You could have said no to Lance, in theory. You could have made up a lie about having someone else to take, or told him your mom was only joking and you don’t actually  _ need _ a plus one.

Except you couldn’t have possibly said  _ any _ of those things, because it would make Lance sad.

Lance McClain isn’t stupid, as spastic and airheaded as he might seem at times. You know he’d see right through any lie about having another friend to take, and then he’d think you’re avoiding him. Which wouldn’t be  _ wrong _ , but he’d assume you’re avoiding him because you hate him.

You don’t hate Lance McClain, and the _ last _ thing you want is for him to think you do.

But you don’t want Lance to know that you  _ like _ him, either, which makes this whole thing a  _ mess _ .

“I fucking hate you sometimes, you know that?” You tell Pidge as soon as you’re alone. You’re in your shared dorm room, sat on your bed and glaring at her. She just rolls her eyes at you.

“Bold of you to assume my goal in life isn’t to be mildly despised,” Pidge says, her tone flat.

You stare at her. She stares back. Finally, she sighs and sits on her own bed across from you.

“Keith, Lance is your friend, even if you refuse to think he is,” She says, and you flinch, because you still struggle with the idea that anyone who hasn’t been stuck with you since  _ birth _ would want to be your friend. “And he really likes weddings. You’re not gonna  _ die _ if you bring him along.”

You don’t say anything. Partly because you don’t want to admit Pidge is right, and partly because you  _ know _ she has ulterior motives in pressuring you to let Lance come with you back home.

Pidge can tell, and she grins. “And you can’t complain about getting to be close to him, can you?”

You pick up your pillow and throw it at Pidge’s face, ignoring the string of insults she throws back at you. You want to stay mad at her, but she’s _ right _ , so you steal your pillow back from her bed and hide behind it for the rest of the night, because she’ll see straight through you if you don’t.

It’s time like this that you really wish you  _ didn’t _ share a room with Pidge Holt.

  
  
  
  


Your name is Lance McClain, and you’re genuinely excited to be in the airport right now.

You’ve been on airplanes a few times before, when you first came to the states from Cuba and the few times you’ve gone back there to visit family in the years since. And yeah, you might be twenty-one years old and a third year in college, but you still get excited about plane rides.

Your group, consisting of you, Keith, Pidge, Romelle, Acxa, and Ezor, have been waiting almost two hours at the terminal for your plane to arrive, and your leg has been bouncing just as long.

Pidge teased you about your excitement for a good ten minutes when you first got to the airport, though she quickly got bored of it and moved on to other topics. You talked about Supernatural for most of the first hour, and you discovered Romelle also watched the show, which you hadn’t known before. Now, though, Pidge and Romelle are huddled together, watching House Hunters.

You’re pretty sure they only watch that show to judge everyone’s taste, but who knows.

You sneak a glance at Keith. He’s staring out the window, his expression distant. His whole body is tense and you wonder if he’s still upset about not being able to drive home instead of fly.

According to Pidge, Keith and Acxa had an argument over whether they were going to fly home or drive. Acxa won, in the end, because they didn’t have enough time between exams and the wedding to make a cross-state road trip. Plus, Keith and Acxa’s sister-in-law had offered to buy plane tickets for all the wedding guests who had to travel, so flying would be cheaper, too.

You feel a little guilty, taking advantage of a stranger’s hospitality, but Pidge was quick to assure you that Keith’s sister-in-law is “rich as fuck” and prides herself on buying people things.

You haven’t met Keith’s sister-in-law yet, but you think you’d probably do the same, in her shoes.

Keith looks away from the window and meets your gaze, dragging you out of your thoughts. You can see something in his eyes, in how his face tightens when he looks at you, and you wonder what that  _ something _ is. But then Pidge jabs you with her elbow and the moment is broken.

You shift your attention onto Pidge and she gives you a look, but you ignore it, and she moves on to ask about your exams, effectively drawing you back into the conversation.

When you glance at Keith again, he’s staring out the window, as if he’d never moved at all.

  
  
  
  


Your name is Keith Kogane, and you really,  _ really  _ hate planes.

You have a very specific reason for hating planes, which you are trying your hardest not to think about right now, because you know it’ll only make you more nervous. Not that you think you  _ could _ be more nervous. You haven’t been able to think straight since you got to the airport hours ago.

Pidge has been chatting away with Romelle and Lance since your group arrived, but Acxa has been glancing at you throughout her quiet conversation with Ezor, and you know she’s worried.

You feel a little bad about the fight you had a few nights before. You know it’s not her fault you have to fly home. And she was right- there’s no way you could make it to the wedding in time if you were driving. But you can’t help the paranoia that had crawled its way into your throat after you got the invitations, and you know Acxa is fully aware of why planes make you so upset.

You  _ are _ twins, after all.

Acxa continues to glance at you until you finally catch her gaze, and then you shoot a half-heated glare at her until she looks away. You know she got your message:  _ Stop babying me _ .

Your sister doesn’t pay any more attention to you after that, and you’re grateful. Acxa is annoying and likes to bully you when she gets the chance, but she’s also sensible enough not to push you too far. She’s known you far too long to want to deal with you when you’re genuinely pissed off.

Unfortunately for you, your sister isn’t the only person here who likes to bully you, and Pidge has been proven to enjoy pissing you off far more than anyone else you’ve ever known.

Which is why, when she pulls Lance aside as you’re boarding the plane, you’re  _ very _ suspicious.

You want to believe she wouldn’t tell Lance about why you hate planes, or that you hate planes, or to tease you throughout the flight because you hate planes. You want to believe Pidge isn’t  _ that _ mean. But you’ve known Pidge for as long as you can remember, and she can be _ ruthless _ .

You frown at her when she and Lance rejoin your group, and she ignores you completely, which makes you  _ more _ suspicious.  _ God _ , if you have to spend this flight being bothered by Lance…

You might be in love with Lance, but  _ damn _ if he doesn’t manage to piss you off.  _ Often _ .

Lance doesn’t piss you off today, though.

You and Lance are stuck sitting together - you suspect Pidge got Allura to pair the seats up that way on purpose - and you’re quick to take the window seat, desperate to see the ground. Lance doesn’t complain, just takes the middle seat between you and whatever stranger sits with you.

You can’t take your eyes off the ground. You barely hear the stewardess going through the rules and procedures, but you hear enough of “what to do if the plane crashes” to grow more upset.

You don’t realize how hard you’re gripping the armrest until Lance’s hand touches yours.

You jump, whirling to face him. His blue, blue eyes meet yours, and you almost think  _ he _ might be worried about you, too. You wonder if Pidge really did tell him about your hatred of flying.

Then again, Lance isn’t dumb. He can probably tell you’re stressed.

“Here,” Lance says, just above a whisper.

You look at what he’s giving you and find a pair of headphones. They’re huge, with thick padding on the muffs and a cord that looks as long as Lance is tall. Lance holds them out and you glance from them, to him, to them, to him again. You raise an eyebrow.  _ What the fuck is this? _

Lance makes a face at you and sighs. “Just trust me, okay? I’m not gonna fucking prank you.”

You cough out a strained laugh, because yeah, part of you  _ had _ been wondering if he was gonna prank you. You glance back out the window, and  _ fuck _ , the plane is starting to  _ fucking move _ .

You’re caught off guard by Lance slipping the headphones over your ears, and instantly, you hear  _ nothing _ . Not the shaking of the plane, not the chatter around you, not even your own breathing. 

You face Lance again, but he’s not looking at you. He’s fiddling with the cord, trying to find the plug, and he almost smacks himself in the face with it in the end. You bite back a smile, because all of this is so ridiculous. You’re still not sure what to think about it.

Lance finally manages to plug the headphones into what looks like an iPod, and then he looks at you, a soft smile on his face. You can’t hear what he says, but you can read his lips easily.

_ Trust me? _

And you  _ do _ trust Lance.

So you let Lance scroll through the music on his phone, picking songs for you. You still cling to the seat as the plane violently rocks itself into the air, but for the first time, you don’t feel like you want to crawl out of your own skin or puke all over the person sitting next to you.

The music helps.  _ Lance _ helps.

You’re not sure what to think about that.

  
  
  
  


Your name is Lance McClain, and you’re nervous about meeting Keith’s family.

You shouldn’t be nervous. It’s not like you’re meeting the Pope or some girlfriend’s family. And it’s not like you’re going in blind- you’ve heard plenty of stories from Pidge about Keith’s family. And you know they’re  _ her _ family as much as his, so it’s not like you don’t have a go-between.

And yet… it’s  _ Keith’s family _ .

You and Keith have never really gotten along, despite how similar all your friends insist you are. Keith gets pissed off easily and has zero patience for you most days. You argue far less than you used to, but you still can’t stand him half the time, and you _ know _ the feeling is mutual.

And now you’re here, several states away from home, about to meet his family. And sure, you’ve already met his sister, but Acxa’s really just  _ Keith _ with more patience and a better poker face.

So, yeah, you’re nervous about meeting Keith’s family, because it’s  _ Keith’s family _ .

You’ve been chattering at Keith throughout the flight, to distract him and keep his mind off flying, and you want to think you’ve helped somewhat, but he still walks off the plane looking faint. You don’t mention it, because Pidge asked you not to, and you try not to glance at him too much. He lags behind the group a bit, but Acxa hangs back to talk to him, so you leave them be.

You go through security with no issues. There’s a crowd of people waiting on the other side, and you look around at the different faces, trying to see if any of them bear resemblance to Keith.

“Shiro! Allura!” Pidge yells from beside you, stealing your attention away from the crowd.

Two figures come forward. They’re both tall, elegant, and incredibly attractive- your bi heart cries a little, because you recognize them from photos Pidge had shown you and Romelle while you were waiting in the airport. This is Shiro and Allura- Keith and Acxa’s brother and his wife.

“We didn’t know if you guys were here yet.” Pidge says, throwing herself at Shiro for a hug.

“We got in twenty minutes ago,” Allura says, “Takashi almost missed your arrival. He drank too much coffee on our way here and desperately had to pee when we got in.”

A resigned, slightly constipated expression crosses Shiro’s face while Allura and Pidge break out into snickers, and you can’t help but smile. Instantly, Allura reminds you of your own sister.

Pidge grabs your arm and drags you closer. “This is Lance, by the way. The _ loverboy. _ ”

_ Oh God, what did she tell them about you?! _

Allura giggles in a way that is so very  _ not  _ reassuring, but Shiro just smiles and holds a hand out to you. “Takashi Shirogane,” he offers. “I’m Keith and Acxa’s brother. Thanks for coming, I was a little worried Keith wouldn’t show up. He doesn’t talk to us much, I didn’t know he had… friends.”

The constipated expression returns to Shiro’s face, and you can clearly see the signs of a man wishing he’d stopped talking two sentences ago. You stifle a laugh and shake his hand firmly.   
  
“I’m Lance McClain, and I’m honestly not sure if Keith really thinks of us as friends.” You say.

Shiro, Allura, and Pidge all give you a strange look, and now  _ you’re _ the one who wishes you’d stopped talking two sentences ago, because now everything is awkward.  _ Goddammit _ .

Before anyone can mention your fuck-up, though, Keith and Acxa appear from behind you - and yeah, you panic a little internally, because  _ what if Keith heard what you said _ \- with the exact kind of expressions that mark siblings reuniting and not being sure if they’re happy or want to fight.

Shiro wastes no time in wrapping his arms around the twins, trapping them both in a headlock. Acxa twists neatly out of the hold, while Keith, still recovering from the flight, grumbles angrily.

And now you can understand what Pidge has said about Keith and Shiro being close- the way Shiro hugs Keith tight, the way they whisper quietly to each other, the way Keith relaxes, looking a little less pale and a little more like his usual pissed-off self, reminds you of your own siblings.

Suddenly, you don’t feel quite as nervous about meeting Keith’s family.

  
  
  
  


Your name is Takashi Shirogane, and having your siblings home again is  _ really nice _ .

It’s not like it’s been _ forever  _ since you’ve seen them- they were home for holiday break less than four months ago, and they were home for their birthday just a few months before that. But since you no longer live at home, you don’t see them  _ that _ often, so you treasure the times you do.

Right now, though, you’re more interested in your siblings’  _ plus-ones _ than you are your siblings.

You refuse to feel guilty about that.

You’ve actually met Ezor through a Skype call before, during dinner with your mom. She seemed nice. Far bubblier than the twins, which you think is a good thing. Acxa could do with someone bubbly in her life. So could Keith, but that’s a can of worms you don’t feel like opening quite yet.

Except you might  _ have _ to open that can of worms, because  _ Keith _ brought a  _ plus-one _ .

That was a shocker.

Keith has always been introverted. So has Acxa, to be fair, but it always seemed to you like she was introverted because she  _ wanted _ to be introverted. Because she just didn’t care  _ not _ to be.

Keith, though… he struggles. He struggles to understand other people, to understand  _ himself _ .

He’s an angry, awkward  _ baby _ . Always has been, likely always will be.

Or, so you thought.

Because Keith brought a plus-one to your mom’s wedding.  _ Keith _ , who has had exactly  _ one _ friend in his entire life - that you know of - brought a plus-one to your mom’s wedding.

You’re shook.

And you’re extra shook because Lance McClain is  _ nice _ .

You wonder if you’re a bad brother for assuming any friend of Keith’s must be horrible, but then, Keith has only ever had Pidge as a friend, and Pidge, much as you love her, is  _ horrible _ .

From your first introductions - brief as they were; tormenting the twins is  _ always _ your first priority in life - you thought Lance was nice, though there was an undercurrent of doubt in his words.  _ I’m honestly not sure Keith really thinks of us as friends _ , he’d said. It caught your attention.

Keith is an angry, awkward baby, and you wouldn’t be surprised if other people saw that and took it to think that Keith doesn’t like them. Which would be fair- they wouldn’t know him like you do.

Part of you wants to explain Keith’s mind to Lance, because you seriously doubt that Keith, who has never had qualms in telling someone  _ No, Fuck Off _ , would bring Lance if he didn’t like him.

Part of you wants to explain to Lance that Keith would only bring him along if he was  _ special _ .

But you won’t.

Because that’s  _ none of your business. _

  
  
  
  


Your name is Lance McClain, and you don’t really know what you were expecting, but this isn’t it.

Keith and Pidge’s families live in an old neighborhood, the houses all clearly built sometime in the seventies, going by the architecture and horrendous color combinations. Keith’s family home is a dull greyish-blue, with black trim, while Pidge’s family home is beige with white trim and stone.

For some reason, you’ve always pictured Pidge living in a hovel. Some kind of cave, maybe. You realize now that it’s stupid, but Pidge seems like the kind of person who’d live in the dark.

And Keith, well… you kind of saw him and Acxa as snobs, living in fancy new construction.

You have a lot of assumptions you need to get over. You’re kind of a dick.

Pidge and Romelle split off from your group once you’ve all collected your things, and you watch them walk across Keith’s yard and disappear into Pidge’s house. You mourn their leaving, a little; after all, now you’re stuck with Keith and his family, and you’re not  _ nearly _ as close to Keith.

_ You’re kind of a dick _ , you remind yourself.  _ Suck it up _ .

Shiro leads the way into the Kogane family house, and Keith falls in at your side. He doesn’t say anything, clearly still exhausted from the flight, but you feel a little better, having him there.

Before you can make it up the walk, the front door opens, revealing a middle-aged woman with all the bearings of what you’d expect in Keith’s mom. She has Keith’s sharp jawline, Acxa’s slim features- or, rather, they got them from her. Even their eyes are her shade of violet-blue.

Not that you spend much time staring at Keith and Acxa’s eyes, but  _ hey _ , it’s not a common color.

“You’re back!” She says, grabbing at Keith and Acxa to pull them in close. “I missed you two!”

The twins breathe a matching exasperated sigh, and you force yourself not to laugh, because you know from experience how moms can be when they haven’t seen you in a while. Hell, your own mama would probably have crushed you half to death with her hug, in the same situation.

You can see the moment the twins give up on trying to pretend they’re upset. They sink into their mom’s arms the same way Keith sank into Shiro’s arms at the airport. It warms your heart.

A quick glance toward Ezor confirms you’re not the only one who kind of wants to cry.

The moment passes, though, and then Keith’s mom has forced her way to where you and Ezor have moved to the side. She looks the two of you up and down with her arms crossed over her chest, and despite the friendly smile on her face, it feels like being judged in a beauty pageant.

“Yeah, you two are hot,” she says, and you choke on air. “I can see why the twins like you.”

Your gaze snaps to Keith and Acxa. They’re stood together on the stoop, jaws dropped, looking like their fight-or-flight responses have activated and they’re considering stabbing their mom.

Ezor is the first to move, dissolving into a fit of giggles that has her doubled over, clutching at her stomach. It breaks the tension- Acxa’s expression morphs into something fond, and even from here, you can see Keith loosen up a bit, now that the spotlight isn’t focused directly onto him.

His eyes meet yours and you offer him your best reassuring smile. You can see his mouth quirk.

“I’m Krolia, Keith and Acxa’s mom. I’m glad you came.”

You turn back to Keith’s mom, Krolia, and take in her features, so  _ very much _ like Keith’s. It’s a little weird, actually, how much Keith looks like his mom- you’d expected Acxa to resemble her, the same way your sister Lourdes resembles your own mom. But you hadn’t expected  _ Keith _ to. 

You remind yourself that Keith and Acxa are  _ twins _ . You  _ should _ have expected this.

You’re kind of an idiot.

“Lance McClain,” You say, once Krolia has moved her attention from Ezor to you. “Thank you for inviting us to your wedding, I’m actually really excited. I haven’t been to a wedding in  _ years. _ ”

Krolia chuckles. “Not at all, I’m just glad you’re here. I was worried I’d have to kick Keith out.”

“Mom,” Keith whines, sounding more indignant than you’ve ever heard him.  _ “Please.” _

Krolia winks at you, and you force back a snort.

“Alright, alright,” She says, turning back toward the house. “I’m done pestering your friend. Let’s go inside before Coran comes out here and embarrasses us in front of the neighbors.”

You have no idea who Coran is - Pidge refused to give you more than a basic rundown of Keith’s family, insisting that you should go in with no previous opinions; you’re pretty sure she just wants you to suffer - but the vaguely terrified look that crosses everyone’s face is not reassuring.

_ It’ll be fine, _ you tell yourself.  _ She’s probably exaggerating _ .

  
  
  
  


Your name is Keith Kogane, and holy shit, you hadn’t really considered how draining introducing Lance to every single one of your relatives would be.

It’s a good half hour before you manage to leave the entrance - Lance and Coran hit it off almost immediately, and spend most of that half hour chatting about  _ God _ knows what - and Acxa had snuck away with Ezor right at the beginning, meaning the focus was solely on you and Lance

Your only small reprise was getting to see June, your niece. She’s five years old and you love her to bits, but even her ability to calm your beating heart was overtaken by the chaos around you.

You’re tired. So _ fucking _ tired. You actually miss your tiny dorm room, at this particular moment.

Lance seems to sense your exhaustion. He doesn’t say anything beyond “which bunk is yours” after the two of you escape into your bedroom. He simply climbs into the top bunk and puts his headphones in, clearly content to fuck around on his phone for however long you chill here.

_ God _ , you really are in love with him.

  
  
  
  


Your name is Lance McClain, and Keith’s family is not at all what you’d expected.

You still think you’re kind of a dick.

You left Keith alone to rest after the flight. You figure he could use some alone time after being bombarded with all his relatives at once. You love your family, but even you can relate to that.

Everyone seems to have calmed down once introductions were through, demonstrated by most everyone having split off to their own sections of the house. You don’t pass anyone upstairs, but you do find Ezor and Acxa in the living room, looking over a collection of photos on the mantle.

They turn to you as you approach, and you can’t help but be a little nervous, because you’re not really  _ friends _ with Acxa, even though you technically knew  _ her _ before you knew  _ Keith _ .

“Hey,” Ezor says, breaking the ice. “I’m getting the house tour. Wanna join?”

You smile, feeling relieved. “Yes please, if I’m not intruding.”   
  
Acxa grins knowingly. “Not at all. I appreciate the chance to embarrass Keith through you.”

_ Okay, you kind of love Acxa. _

The implication that Acxa wants to show you awkward Keith photos is quickly followed up on and confirmed as she talks you and Ezor through each photo on the mantelpiece. There are photos from their childhood, of the three siblings with matching bowl cuts. There are photos from middle school of the twins with shining silver braces. There are photos of them from every school year.

There are other photographs, too- of Krolia and Kolivan, of Shiro and Allura and varying ages of their daughter, June. There’s even a photo of Pidge’s family dressed as Star Wars characters.

It’s a look into Keith’s life you never thought you’d see, and it’s incredibly charming.

You just wish Keith was here to tease about it.

“Who’s that?”

You point to a row of framed photographs on the wall, hidden away in a far corner of the room.

“That’s our dad,” Acxa says, and there’s something in her voice that pulls at Lance’s heart. “He died when Keith and I were thirteen. He was a firefighter- he died saving a little girl.”

The photograph is a happy one, showing Krolia with her arms around a grizzly man. They’re both smiling. Shiro is behind them, clearly trying not to laugh at something, while Acxa and Keith have already failed at hiding it, their faces bright with laughter as they clutch at their stomachs.

You’ve never seen Keith look so bright. You wonder how much losing his dad changed him.

Acxa points to another photo on the wall, this one depicting a younger, far less serious Kolivan standing shoulder-to-shoulder with another man. They’re wearing matching military uniforms, a wide array of honors decorating their shoulders. They’re holding hands and smiling primly.

“That’s our uncle, Thace. He and Kolivan were married, before he died.”

Acxa pauses, glancing at you and away. The gesture seems almost sheepish, and it doesn’t fit at all with what you know of her, putting you on edge. What could possibly make  _ her _ nervous?

“He died in a plane crash almost two years ago.”

Oh.

“He and Keith were… close.”

_ Oh. _

Suddenly, everything makes sense- Keith’s nerves in the airport, his discomfort on the plane, the concerned glances Acxa and Pidge have been sending him all day.  _ This _ was the reason.

_ God _ , you’re so glad Pidge warned you about not teasing Keith. You would’ve felt fucking  _ horrible _ .

For a split second, you wonder why Keith never mentioned this, but you shove the thought down quickly. You and Keith aren’t very close. And  _ two years _ \- this is still a fresh hurt. And even without those things, you doubt Keith is the kind of person who spills their life story to…  _ anyone _ .

Least of all  _ you _ .

Someone he doesn’t even  _ like _ very much.

Acxa and Ezor move on to look at other photos on other walls, but you stand still. Your head is stuck on the memory of Keith gripping the armrests of his plane seat, his eyes blown wide.

He’d been shaking.

You wish you knew him like you knew Hunk. You wish you could hug him and he’d understand, no words required. You wish you could tell him the kinds of things that lessen the pain, that make the world a little lighter, that reassure you things will turn out  _ right _ , no matter how bad it seems.

But Keith  _ isn’t _ Hunk, and you have none of the experience required for that kind of reassurance.

Keith is asleep when you retreat to his bedroom. His blankets are rolled in a ball and he’s curled around them like a cat around a ball of yarn, his breathing just short of a snore.

You leave him be. He deserves to rest. 

He’s been through a lot.

  
  
  
  


Your name is Keith Kogane, and you need to thank Pidge for forcing you to bring Lance.

You  _ really _ don’t want to thank Pidge for forcing you to bring Lance.

But the simple fact is: Lance McClain steals the spotlight, and that is  _ very _ good news for you.

Now that your stress from flying is starting to wear off, you feel a lot more capable of handling the huge gathering your mom planned for dinner. But, as it turns out, you don’t have to! Most of your family is more concerned with pestering Lance, Ezor, and Romelle about their home lives.

Your mom and Colleen, Pidge’s mom, had planned a two-household potluck to celebrate you, Acxa and Pidge coming home for the week. It’s as loud and chaotic as potlucks always are, with everyone clamoring to be heard over everyone else and none of the conversation carrying over.

You kind of missed this. Sure, you might wish you were in your room sleeping right now, but you can’t deny the charm in knowing you’re surrounded by everyone you love.

About halfway through dinner, Lance breaks away from the main conversation and comes to join you. You’re sitting on the porch swing with Pidge, talking shit about her brother to his girlfriend, Nyma. Lance flops next to you, shaking the swing. You and Pidge shoot him unimpressed looks.

“What? A man can’t sit with his friends when he’s exhausted?” Lance complains, scowling.

Pidge rolls her eyes and returns to her conversation, but you see a ghost of a smile on her face. You politely disengage and turn to face Lance, who truly  _ is _ starting to look exhausted.

“Sorry I abandoned you with my family,” You say. “They can be a bit… much.”

Lance laughs, and  _ fuck _ , he’s  _ cute _ . “Hate to break it to you, buddy, but families are just  _ like _ that.”

“Still-”

“Dude, it’s fine, really,” Lance interrupts, and you frown at him. He rolls his eyes at you. “I’m tired from getting up early to fly here, not because your family is overwhelming. Which they’re  _ not. _ ”

You still think he’s lying to make you feel better, but you allow it to make you feel better anyways.

“Your family’s actually a lot like mine.”

Your gaze snaps back to Lance, and you raise an eyebrow, not quite understanding. He smiles back at you, some strange emotion in his eyes. You swear your heart stops beating.

God, you really need to stop freaking out every time Lance looks at you and isn’t  _ pissed off _ .

“They’re nice. Really nice. I can tell you trust each other, respect each other. Love each other. It feels really nice to be in a place like that. And yeah, it  _ can _ be overwhelming sometimes, but I’d rather be in a place where I’m overwhelmed with love than in a place where everyone hates me.”

… yeah, you actually get that. You can relate to that.

“You do realize you just implied that my family is, indeed, overwhelming?” You say with a smirk.

Lance narrows his eyes at you. “I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear that.”

You can’t help it- you laugh. Lance is so fucking ridiculous, all the time, always. And you love it. You can feel the tension seeping out of your bones, despite the noise surrounding you.

Lance grins, as if he knows what you’re thinking. Your heart swells in your chest. How does he manage to affect you like this? What if he really  _ does _ know what you’re thinking? But before you can truly wonder, Lance has turned away from you, drawn in by Pidge and Nyma’s conversation.

You sigh and sit back to listen. Slowly, so slowly, you start to calm down.

If things keep going the way they’ve been, Lance is going to be more of a pain than you thought.


End file.
